Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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629. To ask the Minister for Health when the clinical review of the medicinal cannabis programme will be completed to ascertain whether evidence exists to expand the range of conditions covered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21714/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Research Board (HRB), at the request of my department, was requested to carry out an exercise of initial evidence gathering and a subsequent evidence synthesis, the results of which were published in January this year. This publication is subject to a clinical review in order ascertain whether there is sufficient evidence available to broaden the scope of the conditions which could be treated with cannabis-based products under the MCAP.

My officials are currently working on assembling a clinical review group of medical experts together with a Chair of that group. I expect this will take several more weeks.

The group will review the publication of the Health Review Board and ultimately will furnish evidence-based recommendations to me as Minister for Health as to whether the scope of the programme be extended or not. While I cannot put a definitive timeline on the work of the clinical review group, given the work already carried out by the HRB on behalf of the Department on which the review will be based, I would anticipate that the review would not take more than a few months.